CHICAGO (AP) Illinois coach Tim Beckman brushed off questions about alleged mistreatment of players in his first appearance with reporters since May.

"We focused right now on the 2015 football team," Beckman said Thursday at the Big Ten's football media days. "We've been focused since January on becoming a better football program."

Beckman, entering his fourth Illinois season, has been under fire after offseason allegations by some former players of mistreatment, charges from others that they were forced to play hurt, and claims of physical confrontations with two players.